


How Could I Not?

by kazoobard



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:41:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26855392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kazoobard/pseuds/kazoobard
Summary: Abed's trying to deal with Troy being gone. Annie helps.
Relationships: Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	How Could I Not?

**Author's Note:**

> I made some timeline changes so that I could keep them in the apartment lol. title is a song by tom rosenthal

The first week, Abed is a zombie.

Annie gives him space, making him buttered noodles and special drink when he can’t get out of bed. He appreciates it. He hopes she knows, because he doesn’t say it. He doesn’t say anything.

***

The third week, Abed begins to cry. He holds it together in public, but as soon as he closes the door to his room, his body is wracked with sobs. His eyes are still puffy in the morning.

***

By the end of the first month, Annie crawls quietly into bed with him in the middle of the night, and they cry together. Abed is grateful for that. He’s never cried in front of someone like that before. He’s never needed to. He almost did, every December 9th, but Troy was always there. And Annie’s here now, and Abed loves her, but it’s not the same. Something is missing, and it hurts more than he knows how to handle.

***

In the middle of the second month, Abed looks up from his buttered noodles and says, “Thank you.” His voice is hoarse from disuse, and Annie is a little startled to hear it, but she smiles.

***

The first week of the third month, Annie scares Abed awake, bouncing on his bed, making the bedsprings squeak. He groans, disoriented, as Annie waves her phone in his face. “TROY’S ON THE PHONE TROY’S CALLING US!”

Abed’s eyes snap open and he fights through a yawn. “Troy?”

“Hey, Abed!” Troy’s voice sounds tinny through the phone, but it still makes Abed melt.

His chest is tight as he responds with a weak “hey!”

Annie flops down on her back, holding her phone between them. “Tell me everything right now! We miss you so much we’ve been waiting for you to call but it’s good that you haven’t because it means you’re busy and having fun and hanging out WITH LEVAR BURTON HOW COOL IS THAT?”

Troy laughs. “Oh my god I have so much to tell you guys. I’m on a borrowed cell phone right now outside this club and it’s so crazy I totally danced with this dude and he was kinda cute but not as cute as Abed—” Abed’s cheeks heat up— “and he bought me a drink that was all fruity and tasted SO GOOD and we were kinda grinding and it’s crazy because I kinda liked it y’know? And it’s like, I didn’t realize until now but being gay is totally not a big deal! Like nobody here knows me and nobody cares except LeVar and he’s sooo nice.”

Annie squeals and prods him with more questions. They talk for a while and don’t say goodbye until early in the morning. Abed doesn’t fall asleep for several more hours, only able to stare at the ceiling and turn Troy’s words over and over in his head.

***

By the end of the fifth month, things feel almost normal again. Abed’s at peace with his new friends, his new/old life, and he’s able to talk to Troy almost every week. He’s on the phone with Troy now, listening to him talk about the new foods he’s been eating. Abed doesn’t mean to interrupt him, but once the thought enters his head, he can’t stop it.

“I’m in love with you.”

“Oh,” Troy says, his voice soft. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Awesome.”

They’re silent for a moment, then Troy takes a breath. “So, I thought I could totally eat all seafood, but I tried this weird squid thing—”

***

In the middle of the seventh month, Annie brings her new girlfriend over for dinner. They eat steak, and he eats cereal. Abed’s happy for them, and the new girlfriend is nice, but the experience leaves a hollow pit in his stomach. Annie is so happy and in love, and it just makes Abed feel… alone.

***

In the ninth month, Frankie plays the steel drums. It’s weird.

***

At the end of the eleventh month, Abed had finished the first draft of Police Justice. Annie pretends to like it, but she didn’t get it. She said she was proud of him, anyway.

***

At the cusp of the thirteenth month, Annie screams from the living room. Abed rushes from his room to see what’s wrong, and freezes. Annie’s coffee mug is shattered on the floor, and Troy is standing in the living room. Annie throws herself into his arms, squealing and talking eighty miles an hour. He catches her with a grunt, and laughs, spinning her around. Abed is frozen. Troy’s looking at Annie with complete and utter joy, then closing his eyes to savor the hug, and his hair is so long, and he has a short beard now, and he looks stronger than before, and his laugh is so loud and clear, and suddenly he’s looking at Abed with his beautiful eyes, and Abed is frozen.

“Hi,” Troy breathes. His smile breaks Abed into a million pieces.

***

Hours later, they’re getting dressed for bed, backs toward each other. Abed is talking about Annie’s girlfriend, filling the silence with nonsense, and Troy whispers, “Abed.”

Abed keeps talking, he can’t stop talking, he’s not sure if he’s able to stop talking, but a moment later he feels a warm hand on his back and falls silent.

Abed turns his head cautiously and gasps softly against Troy’s lips. Any thoughts previously in his head drown as Troy cups his face, and all he can focus on are lips, hands, eyelashes against his cheek. Abed melts under Troy’s touch, and lets out a soft whine when Troy pulls away.

“I’m in love with you, too,” Troy says, his eyes piercing. “I don’t think I ever said that.”

Abed cracks a smile. “I figured it out.”

“Yeah?”

Abed tugs Troy closer by his waist, kissing him again. “Yeah.”

Annie calls out from the other room. “I’m happy to watch Spider-Man 3 with you guys, but if you’re just gonna make out then I’m going to bed!”

Troy laughs and calls out,”We’ll be there in a minute!” He rests his head on Abed’s chest, sighing. “I’m sorry I left you.”

Abed shakes his head and rests his chin on Troy’s head. “I’m not.”

“Mm?”

“I knew you would come home.”


End file.
